A Story of Ruach HaKodesh: The Young Man Who Disappeared in the North and the Rav's Exact Promise / An Amazing Story

A group of yeshiva students was traveling in the north when one of the students disappeared. In an urgent phone call, Morinu HaRav Berland shlit"a calmed them and saw exactly what happened through Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration).

A Story of Ruach HaKodesh: The Young Man Who Disappeared in the North and the Rav's Exact Promise

A few weeks ago, a group of yeshiva students went on a trip together to the northern region. During the trip, they embarked on a hiking trail that lasted several hours, in an area known as the Gilbon. The atmosphere was uplifting, and the young men walked together joyfully in the midst of nature.

The Sudden Disappearance in the Heart of Nature

When the group reached their final destination, they suddenly noticed that one of the young men was missing. At first, they waited patiently for five or ten minutes, assuming he had simply fallen a bit behind. But time passed, and there was still no sign of the young man.

An entire hour went by, and the student had simply vanished as if the earth had swallowed him up. Naturally, his friends in the group fell into a panic and great fear. They did not know what had happened to him in the isolated area, and the concern for his well-being grew from moment to moment.

The Fateful Call to Morinu HaRav shlit"a

In their distress, and understanding that they needed a yeshuah (salvation) and counsel, the young men hurried to call Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a. By the grace of Heaven, they managed to reach the tzaddik and speak with him directly. They described the stressful situation and the disappearance of their friend.

The response of the Rav shlit"a was immediate, calm, and surprisingly precise. The tzaddik answered them with absolute certainty: "There is no need to be afraid. His leg hurts; in another hour he will catch a ride and arrive." These words instilled a certain calmness in their worried hearts, and they waited to see how things would unfold.

Ruach HaKodesh Through the Luminous Lens

And behold, wonder of wonders, exactly one hour after that conversation, a vehicle suddenly stopped near the group. The car door opened, and the lost student stepped out, limping on his leg. His surprised friends rushed over to him to hear what he had gone through in the last few hours.

The young man related that along the way, he had lost his shoe, and because of this, he could not keep up with the group's walking pace. As a result, his leg began to hurt terribly, and he was forced to walk slowly until he finally managed to catch a ride that brought him to them at that exact moment.

Everything happened exactly as the tzaddik had said, word for word. This incident illustrated once again, for all to see, the revealed Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration) of Morinu HaRav shlit"a. Through the luminous lens (of prophetic vision), the tzaddik sees everything, even from vast distances, and guides his congregation with love and wondrous precision.

An Amazing Story: Rabbi Berland's Request on the Way to Heart Surgery

In the year 5775 (2015), while Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a was in his exile in Holland, a dramatic and harrowing event occurred. All of a sudden, the Rav shlit"a collapsed and suffered a very severe heart attack. The situation was critical, and he was rushed to the hospital. The doctors who examined him immediately determined that there was an urgent need to implant a pacemaker in his body, and he was taken into emergency surgery while in genuine life-threatening danger.

Anxiety and Crying Out to Heaven

The gabbai (attendant) who was by his side during those difficult moments tells of the panic and great fear that gripped everyone. The situation seemed hopeless, but the tzaddik, even in his most difficult moments, thought of the collective. He asked to pass an urgent message to the Holy City of Jerusalem, calling on all the students to go immediately to the Western Wall. The Rav shlit"a asked that they shake the heavens and tear open the gates of mercy, until they received the good news that the situation had improved and the danger had passed.

The Awe-Inspiring Request on the Way to the Hospital

However, the most chilling moment occurred right before they evacuated the Rav shlit"a to the hospital. While suffering from terrible agony and immense weakness, the Rav turned to the gabbai with a surprising request. He did not ask for anything for his health or comfort, but rather instructed the gabbai to take with them the book "Ketzos HaChoshen" Part II.

This fact illustrates more than anything the greatness of the tzaddik and his immense devotion to the holy Torah. Even when he was in a terrible state of life-threatening danger, the only thing that occupied Morinu HaRav shlit"a was Torah study, and the concern that he should not be without the book "Ketzos HaChoshen" on his sickbed.

A Wondrous Story: A Few Hours After a Pacemaker Implant, the Rav is Immersed in His Books

One of his close associates tells of a tremendous wonder that occurred immediately after Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a underwent a complex medical procedure. As is known, the Rav underwent a difficult surgery in which a pacemaker was implanted in his body. This is a medical treatment that is not simple at all, requiring abundant physical and emotional strength.

According to the laws of nature and medicine, a person who undergoes such a procedure requires absolute rest. Usually, it takes a patient several weeks to fully recover and return to his daily routine. But it turns out that these laws of nature do not apply to the tzaddik of the generation, whose entire vitality and strength stem solely from the study of the holy Torah.

Above the Laws of Nature

The standard medical concepts simply did not apply in this case. By Morinu HaRav shlit"a, the verse "For they are our life and the length of our days" is fulfilled in a tangible and wondrous way. The Torah is the true elixir of life that infuses renewed strength into the body, even after difficult and agonizing treatments.

To the immense surprise of everyone around him, only a few short hours had passed since the end of the complex surgery. Instead of lying down and resting as expected of a patient in his condition, the Rav shlit"a was already sitting at the table. He was completely immersed in deep study of the book "Ketzos HaChoshen," diving into the most difficult and intricate halachic (Jewish legal) topics, as if he had never undergone surgery at all.

This story illustrates for us just a tiny fraction of the tzaddik's immense love for Torah, and the way in which the study of the holy Torah elevates a person above all physical and material limitations.

From Issue 85 — Parashas Pekudei

From the series "Tzaddik Moshel Yiras Elokim" (A Tzaddik Rules Through the Fear of God) — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" publications